Letter-box



(No Model.)

. STBBBNS.

LETTER BOX.

. Patented Apr. 8, 18844.

TEC E, INVENTUR T524 v-VN 55555 7%/ Unirse Sterns @armar @erica CHARLES A.. STEBBINS, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.r 296,642, dated April 8, 1884.

(No model.)

.T0 all whom it may con/@wmf Be it known that I, OnARLEs A. SrEBBrNs, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Chelsea, in the county of Suffolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Letter-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in letter-boxes to be placed upon the outer doors of dwelling-houses, offices, or other suitable places; and the object of my invention is to provide a strong, compact, and convenient box for the reception ot' mail and other matter, adapt-ed to display a name or number, and so constructed thatl it may be securely locked and preserve themail from examination by other than proper parties, and from damage by Water or dust, and having an attachnient'by means of which a secure place is provided for mattertoo bulky to be placed within the box Without detracting from the symmetry and convenience of the box. I attain these objects in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l is a front view ofa closed box, the dotted lines showing rods and springs Within the box. Fig. 2 is a bottom view ofthe box as it appears with the plate or newspaper attachment in position; Fig. 3 is a section of the box upon the line x x. Fig.- l is a section of the box upon the line y y. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the front or door, showingthe detachable center attached to the outer frame.

Similar' letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The box is constructed with the back slight ly higher than the front and the consequently sloping top projecting beyond the front sides a distance slightly greater than the thickness oi' thedoor. The top of the box is tnished at its front inside edge to forni a shoulder, a, to allow the door to close snugly at the top, and to furnish a hold for the bolt of the lock, which is thrown behind and against the shoulder, and securely holds the door in place. The front or door is hinged to the bottom b,

Mand provided at its upper side with a lock, c.

The front closes under the projecting top and over the edges ofthe sides and bottom. Upon the inner face of the door, and extending along its two sides and bottom, is a rib at such distance from the edge as to iit snugly within and against the sides and bottom of the box when the dooris closed, as shown at d, thus preventing the box being tampered with by the insertion of any sharp instrument and preventing the admission of water or dust.

The door may be composed of one piece, or it may be constructed oi' an outer frame,f,and a detachable center piece, e. The detachable center e is provided upon its inner side with lugs or ears g, and is fitted to the outer rim and fastened thereto, by pins or other suitable fasteningsthrough the ears projecting against the inside of the outer rim.

To the bottom of the box b, I attach a plate, l1, b'y means of rods t, which. passing through the bottom b, are screwed or fastened into the bosses 7c on the ends of the plate. Each rod is placed within a small but strong spiral spring, l, and may be steadied by a support, s, Within the box,which insures its ascent and descent in a true line. The top of the spring is secured to theA rod, and the bottom of the spring rests upon the bottom ofthe box.

Using the central boss, n, as a handle, the y plate It may be dra-Wn away from the body of the box, forming a space, in which may be placed papers, pamphlets, and like matter too large to be placed within the box. Willen the plate is released from the grasp,l the spring causes the paper or other matter to be firmly held. I thus provide a place for t-he deposit of papers and similar matter without increasing the usual size ot' the box.

Instead of a spiral spring, I can use a fiat spring, m, attached at its ends to the rods, and fastened at its center point to the bottom of the box.

I use rods and springs, as described; but the object may be accomplished by the use of elastic cords or bands, which, .being attached to the plate and passing up into the box, are

held by hooks or other attachments to the inside of the box. The plate, when drawn away from the bottom of the box, would, when' released, be at once drawn back into position by the elastic used for the purpose.

TWha-t I claim as my invention,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In combination with the bottom of a let-- ter-box, an outside plate adapted, by means IOO | the box having its bottom provided with holes to admit the passage of standards or rods, and provided with the slanting top formed with the shoulder a in its inner iront edge, the door l hinged to the bottom of the box, and having the rib d, and the plate h, having rods 'i and springs Z, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES A. STEBBINS.

Witnesses:

WALTER C. COGsWELL, JOHN H. APPLETQN. 

